These services, along with the number 50 Hanley to Meir route, are currently run by Scragg’s and have been supported through Staffordshire County Council subsidies and Government grant funding.

But following the withdrawal of the county council subsidies, Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking to use all its Bus Service Operator’s Grant to keep the 50 going.

The 44 Hanley to Stanley, the 45 Hanley to Berry Hill (operated as the 80 by Scragg’s) and the 90 Ball Green to Tunstall routes will have to be run as entirely commercial routes.

And to make this more attractive to potential operators, the council is offering to transfer ownership of Optare Solo buses – one for each service.

But if no company comes forward the services will be axed.

An Optare Solo bus

Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for regeneration, transport and heritage, said: “We want our residents to have access to the best bus services possible but it’s important to stress bus operators are private businesses, independent of the city council, and they make their decisions based on profitability at the end of the day.

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“Services 44 and 50 were run with top-up funding from the county council, however, the contribution has recently been withdrawn by that authority. We receive a very small annual Bus Service Operator’s Grant which is fully used to keep services 50 and 90 running. To keep service 50 running in the future, it is likely the route will require 100 per cent of the grant funding moving forward.

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“To encourage commercial operation of services 44, 45 and 90 we intend to formally transfer ownership of three Optare Solo vehicles to bus operators. We will try and do everything we can but if these services are not taken on entirely commercially, then they are likely to cease operation in due course given that the city council has no funding available to retain them.”

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Adderley Green-based Scragg’s is still considering whether it will be able to continue operating the services without public funding.

Operations supervisor Paul Owen said: “Since the county council withdrew its subsidies we’ve stopped running the 50 to Caverswall – we only go as far as the Coalville estate now. There are some people who share a taxi from Caverswall to Coalville and catch the bus, and then do the same on the way back.